The T20 World Cup 2026 is approaching the end of its opening round, with attention focused on the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. On Wednesday, India will play the Netherlands in Match 36 of Group A. India has already qualified for the Super 8s after a strong 61-run victory over Pakistan in Colombo and aims to keep its unbeaten record. In contrast, the Netherlands, led by Scott Edwards, need to win this match to keep their hopes alive.
Piyush Chawla shares India’s likely XI against Netherlands
Former Indian spinner Piyush Chawla discussed India’s possible lineup for this match on JioHotstar. He suggested following a “horses for courses” strategy, recommending that India focus on seam bowlers instead of spinners due to the conditions in Gujarat.
Chawla noted that while Kuldeep Yadav was essential in Colombo’s spinning tracks, the Ahmedabad pitch generally offers more bounce and pace, which benefits fast bowlers more.
“In Premadasa, we had to drop a fast bowler, but here, the pitches are better for pace,” mentioned Chawla. He expects Arshdeep Singh to replace Kuldeep Yadav in the lineup.
Chawla supports consistency for India’s next match against South Africa
Looking beyond the Netherlands game, Chawla also addressed India’s upcoming Super 8 opener against South Africa on February 22. He proposed that India should keep the same team for both games to build momentum. Chawla believes they have found their Best XI unless injuries force changes.
He highlighted that the current squad is well-rounded for modern T20 Cricket, with Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma providing quick starts, a solid middle order with Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma, and finishers like Rinku Singh and Hardik Pandya. On the bowling side, Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy offer a strong combination.
If Suryakumar wins the toss in Ahmedabad, Chawla believes he will choose to field first, considering the potential dew that could make chasing easier later in the evening for a team that has been performing well recently.
Piyush Chawla’s predicted India XI for the Netherlands match: Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.
